Managing Pain in Your Joints During the Winter

Do you need a thermometer to let you know when the temperatures dip outside? Or do your joints painfully serve as your weather prognosticator? Unfortunately, for many who suffer from arthritis or other inflammatory conditions, cold weather can wreak havoc on already vulnerable parts of your body. In this article, we’ll explain why you may have joint aches during the brisk winter months and how you can minimize joint pain – even when you’re dealing with near-Arctic temperatures outside.

Why Do I Ache?

Barometric pressure drops in the winter. Researchers believe that when this happens, inflamed areas of our bodies (knees, hips, hands, elbows, and shoulders) swell. Swelling can irritate nerves, which results in increased pain.

How Can I Reduce the Pain?

Winter should be fun for everyone, but not if you’re constantly hurting. The following tips might help make winter a little more tolerable (and enjoyable):

Eat a balanced diet. Shedding some extra pounds is a good idea for several reasons, but specifically, it can take stress off your joints.

Drink plenty of water. Dehydration reduces flexibility, which can increase the chance of injury.

Supplement with vitamin D or fish oil. You naturally get less vitamin D in the winter and being deficient might make your joints hurt more. Fish oil is rich in omega 3s, which help decrease inflammation.